


watch the stars as they collide.

by unforgettablemagic



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Because honestly, Kissing, M/M, Sad Liam, another breakup story, cursing, oblivious boys, past payzer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-12-03 04:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/694211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unforgettablemagic/pseuds/unforgettablemagic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“One, Liam and I are not fucking. Two, I am trying to help him get over Danielle. He’s been pretty emotional during this whole break up/cheating fiasco, and I’m just trying to make sure he’s okay.” Niall huffs. </p><p>Harry gets a thoughtful look on his face. “Because you’re in love with him.”</p><p>And Niall turns bright red once more and, “Wha-Huh?- No, Harry! I’m not in love with him.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	watch the stars as they collide.

**Author's Note:**

> Idek this has been in my drafts since August. I’ve written and rewritten it and i’m still not so sure about this, but here you go. 
> 
>  
> 
> One more thing, I don't have a beta, so any and all mistakes are mine. So there.

Liam was sitting on his couch in London, lounging around and watching tv. It was a Friday night, and once again, he was left with nothing to do because Danielle had canceled on him for the 6th time that month. She’d been acting really distant lately, and he didn’t really know why.  

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he sighed and pulled it out, noticing he had a text. His face lit up when he saw Niall’s name on his phone screen. Niall always had a way of making him happy, even when he wasn’t in the room with him. Just talking to him made Liam feel better, and he knew he could trust Niall with anything.

He opened the text, and read “Sorry man. I was out with zayn when we saw this. i thought you deserved to know.”  and his heart froze and he felt tears prick at the back of his eyes. 

The text was a picture of Danielle kissing another man.

Liam’s mouth fell open.  _Has she been cheating on me this whole time? How could she do that to me? We’d been dating almost 2 years! Was it something I did? Did I not spend enough time with her? I know I was on the road a lot, but I thought she understood. Is that what she’s been doing this whole time? Canceling on me to go sneak around with some other guy?_

Feeling his eyes well up with tears, Liam closed out of the text message and threw his phone, ignoring the cracking sound it made when it hit the wall. Liam grabbed the nearest pillow, shoved his face into it, and cried.

-

That’s how Niall found Liam the next morning when he’d barged into his friend’s flat; curled up in a ball on the couch, hugging a pillow to his chest, with tear tracks on his face. Niall’s heart broke, and he clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to scream and yell at Danielle for doing that to Liam; for cheating on him. Liam was nothing but good to her, and he gave her his all, and she just threw it all away like it was nothing. 

“Oh Li…” Niall murmured as he sat down next to the brown haired boy and put a comforting hand on his back. 

Liam slowly woke up to the feeling of someone rubbing his back, and he looked over his shoulder to see who it was. “Niall…?”

Niall stopped rubbing Liam’s back. “Hey mate. How are you feeling?” 

Liam sat up and rubbed his eyes with his fists. “Not so good.”

“I know, Liam. I’m sorry. I’m sorry she did that to you. She’s just a bitch. You deserve so much better than her.”

“I loved her Niall…” Liam muttered, his eyes filling with tears once again. 

Niall sighed and pulled Liam against his chest and wrapped his arms around him. He could feel the older boy’s body shaking with sobs and he could feel his shirt becoming wet with tears. 

“It’s okay Liam. It’s okay.” Niall whispered over and over, rocking them both.

_-_

It’d been two weeks since Liam had found out that Danielle had cheated on him, and he still wasn’t doing great. He was closed off, angry, and distant almost all of the time. He holed himself up in his flat when they weren’t out doing press stuff, signings, or recordings. Niall was really worried about him, because not only was Liam not talking to him, anytime he was in the room with Niall, he wouldn’t even look at him or be near him.

Niall couldn’t understand why his best friend was ignoring him all of a sudden. He’d try and be there to comfort Liam, but all of his efforts were pushed away with a cold glare and the slamming of his best friend’s door. 

Niall didn’t know why Liam pushing him away hurt so much, but he just locked the strange feelings away and refused to give up on his best mate when he knew Liam needed him most.

-

Niall was up late while he was spending the night at Liam’s. He’d practically made Liam’s couch his home until he could convince Liam to stop being stubborn and let Niall in. Liam eventually just let him stay on his couch, too broken to argue.

Niall was heading to the kitchen to get something to drink, and when he passed by Liam’s room, he heard something. Niall backtracked, and ended up standing and pressing his ear against Liam’s door, trying to listen in. 

He was hearing sobbing… wait,  _sobbing?_ Was Liam crying? 

Niall sighed and knocked on the door. “Liam? Mate? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Liam yelled. “Go away.”

Niall was about to walk away when he heard another sob and a loud sniffle. “Liam, i’m not stupid. I know you’re crying. Open the door.” 

Niall stood there for a couple seconds, and when he heard the door unlock and saw it swing open, he was greeted with a heart wrenching sight. Liam’s eyes were red, his nose was running, his hair was messed up, he was in his batman pajama’s that Zayn had got him for his 19th birthday, and he was clutching his Woody toy he’d had since he was little. 

Niall frowned. “Oh Liam.” 

Liam looked at the ground, suddenly finding the carpet very interesting. ” s’nothing. ‘m fine.”

Niall snorted. “Bullshit. Your eyes are blood red and your nose is running. And you have Woody in your hands, and you and I both know that you only bring him out when you’re really upset.”

Liam hid Woody behind his back. “Really. I’m fine.” 

Niall stepped up closer to Liam until they were practically nose to nose. “Just tell me what’s going on Liam. I won’t judge you. I won’t even say anything. I’ll just listen.” 

Suddenly Liam’s eyes filled with tears, and once more he found himself in Niall’s embrace. Niall led them over to Liam’s bed and laid down, bringing Liam down with him. Liam hid his face in Niall’s chest as Niall cuddled him to his body. Niall ran his hands through Liam’s hair, and it seemed to calm Liam down enough to talk.

“I just miss her, Niall. I can’t believe she cheated on me.” Liam muttered into Niall’s chest.

Niall held Liam tighter. “I know Liam. I know.” 

_-_

Over the next couple weeks, Niall continued to help Liam with mending his broken heart - “more like torn out and stabbed with a rusty spoon”, as Liam had corrected him. Niall spent so much time with Liam. He started noticing that his stomach would  flutter when Liam graced him with one of his beautiful smiles and his pulse would quicken when Liam laughed and his heart would race when Liam allowed Niall to wrap his arms around him in comfort.

Niall didn’t understand these new feelings, but he had to admit, they kind of scared him, but he enjoyed them as well.

-

The boys were hanging out at Liam’s place, because things had gotten better to the point where Liam actually didn’t hide away in his room every second of the day.

Louis and Zayn were playing a game of Fifa on the XBox, which always included bickering and a lot of accusations of cheating, to which Liam would have to break it up before they started wrestling and breaking things in his flat. Niall was sitting on the couch with Harry and Liam, watching the other two boys continue to bicker. Occasionally he’d sneak glances at Liam, but just to make sure that he was okay.

Halfway into the night, he began to feel Harry’s eyes boring into the side of his face. Niall turned and Harry caught his eyes and looked at him with one raised eyebrow as if to say,  _“is there something you’d like to tell me?”_

Niall just rolls his eyes and gets up off the couch and heads into the kitchen to get something to eat. And, of course, Harry follows him.

And Niall’s in the middle of drinking his beer when Harry asks, “Are you two fucking?” And then Niall turns bright red and he’s fairly sure he’s going to die while choking on his beer.

“ _Sorry?_ ” Niall splutters. 

“Are. You. And. Liam. Fucking?” Harry accentuates each word. “Because Niall, if you two are, I might very well have to bitch slap you because he just broke up with Danielle and I don’t want you hurting him and mpfh”-“

Niall slapped a hand over Harry’s mouth. “If you’d stop rambling for five fucking minutes, i’ll explain it to you.” Harry nods and Niall removes his hand.

“One, Liam and I are not fucking. Two, I am trying to help him get over Danielle. He’s been pretty emotional during this whole break up/cheating fiasco, and I’m just trying to make sure he’s okay.” Niall huffs. 

Harry gets a thoughtful look on his face. “Because you’re in love with him.”

And Niall turns bright red once more and, “Wha-Huh?- _No, Harry!_  i’m not in love with him.”

“Your face says differently mate,” and with that, Harry slaps Niall on the back and ducks back out into the living room before Niall can chuck his beer bottle at Harry’s face.

-

After Liam had announced for everyone to kindly “ _get the fuck out of my house, i need to sleep,”_ Niall and Liam found themselves curled up on Liam’s bed, both trying to get some shut eye because they both had work the next morning.

Eventually Liam fell asleep. He was on his side facing Niall, and Niall could hear little snores coming out of his mouth. Niall smiled slightly because he found it kind of endearing, although he knew he really shouldn’t. 

Niall turned on his side slowly, as to not jostle the sleeping boy next to him. He studied Liam’s face. Liam’s stupidly adorable bushy eyebrows, his newly shorn hair which Niall secretly loved, Liam’s long eyelashes, his nose that Niall knew Liam was kind of self-conscious about, and Liam’s full, pink, utterly kissable l—.

Niall’s eyes widened in sudden realization.  _Oh, fuck. Maybe I **am**  in love with Liam._ Niall quickly turned to face the opposite direction, trying not to picture Liam’s stupidly adorable yet sexy face. 

Niall didn’t get very much sleep that night.

-

Niall was exhausted. He spent the whole night trying to not think about Liam’s, well,  _everything._ In the morning, he had chalked it up to hallucinations from lack of sleep. But seeing Liam when he first woke up, he realized that he was just trying to kid himself. He was in love with Liam Payne, and Niall wanted to kick himself because of it.

Now he couldn’t take his eyes off Liam. He watched Liam’s every step, every breath, and every way he moved his mouth when he talked. He became ridiculously fascinated with the Wolverhampton lad. 

Niall was so distracted with watching Liam that he didn’t even realize that he was three beats behind the rest of the group. 

“Horan!” the dance instructor yelled, pulling Niall from his trance.

Niall had the decency to look sheepish. “Sorry, sir.”

“Alright everyone. Take a break. We’ll pick this back up in fifteen.” The dance instructor huffed, then left to go get some water. 

Niall groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. He wanted nothing more to go back to his flat and crawl in bed and-

“You okay, Niall?” he heard Liam’s concerned voice ask.

Niall blinked a couple times, trying to wake himself up. “Yeah, just exhausted.”

“Oh, didn’t sleep last night?” 

Niall shook his head. “I had a lot on my mind.”

“I understand.” Liam nodded, and Niall wanted to scream,  _No Liam! You don’t understand! You don’t understand because you were the one on my mind! I’m in love with you, damnit!_ But he figured that would be kind of rude.

Before Niall could respond, Liam’s phone buzzed and he looked at it, muttering an apology to Niall before answering it and walking away.

“Hey, Niall.” Harry waltzed up behind him and slung an arm over his shoulder. “Long night?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Niall elbowed him in the ribs. 

“Oi! Not necessary!”

Niall whirled on him. “No! Completely necessary! This is your fault, Styles!” 

Harry raised his eyebrows. “What’s my fault?”

Niall used his hands, gesturing to himself and then to Liam, huffing all the while. “I was completely fine before you brought up you ‘you’re in love with him’ bullshit, and now I can’t help but think—” 

Harry smiled, a slow and evil smile that made Niall want to die right then and there. “…Can’t help but think, what?”

“—Can’t help but think that… Maybe… Maybe you were right. Maybe I  _am_  in love with Liam.” Niall sighed and looked down at his shoes.

When he didn’t hear Harry respond, Niall looked up to see Harry with a completely shocked look on his face. “Oh don’t look so surprised Styles. Yes, you were right. Do you want me to throw you a damn parade?” 

Harry shook his head, eyes still wide. 

“What then?!”

Slowly Harry raised one finger, pointing to the vicinity behind Niall. Niall whirled around and he nearly stopped breathing when he saw Liam standing behind him, his mouth wide open and a faint blush on his cheeks. 

 _Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck._ Niall’s brain went into overdrive. “Liam, h-how much of that did you hear?”

Liam bit his lip. “Enough.” 

“Damnit,” Niall muttered under his breath, dragging a hand through his hair. 

“Niall, I—”

Niall cut him off. “Don’t worry about it, Liam. I get it. You don’t like me like that, I know. It’s fine.” He stalked out of the room and out of the building where the rehearsal was being held. He kept his head down and walked as fast as he could back to Liam’s flat so he could get his stuff. He figured Liam wouldn’t want Niall to live there now that Liam knew his best mate was in love with him. 

“Stupid, stupid,  _stupid._ ” Niall muttered as he unlocked the door, throwing it open and then slamming it shut behind him. “How could I be so stupid?” He felt his eyes fill up with tears, and he hastily wiped them away. 

 _I will not cry_ , Niall told himself as he rushed around picking up his things. He was in Liam’s room picking up his shoes and clothes when he hear the front door open and close. He froze when he heard his name being called. 

“Niall!” Liam yelled. “I know you’re in here! We have to….talk.” Liam stopped yelling when he walked into his bedroom and saw Niall’s back facing him. 

“Look, Liam, I told you. It’s fine. We don’t have to talk about it.” Niall said, not bothering to turn around, because he knew that if he did, he’d take one look at Liam’s face and start crying.

“Yes, Niall we do. Because… because….” Liam trailed off.

Niall turned around out of curiosity and saw Liam’s cheeks flushed. Niall raised an eyebrow, “Because…. why? You want to make sure that I know that you don’t like me like that? Well, I already know Liam. You don’t have to make me feel any worse.”

“Niall, no!” Liam took a step forward and Niall took one back. “Niall, we need to talk… because I have something to tell you.” 

Niall looked at him expectantly, clearly a look telling him to  _‘get on with it’_. 

Liam took a deep breath. “After hearing you tell Harry that you, y’know, love me, it got me thinking about everything that you’ve been doing for me the past couple months. Every time you were there for me, I felt safe and wanted. You made me feel…well…  _loved_. And I guess, somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you too.” Niall’s eyes widened and Liam laughed. “I love the way you crinkle your nose when you’re confused. I love the way your blue eyes sparkle when you’re happy. I love the way you laugh. I love the way you eat and eat and eat and can never be full.”

Liam took a couple steps towards Niall and lowered his voice. “But theres one thing I don’t like. I don’t like when you look at me like i’m going to break your heart, because I wouldn’t ever dream of doing such a thing. You know why?”

Niall took couple steps forward, his face now inches from Liam’s. “Why?” He whispered, his eyes roaming Liam’s face. 

Liam leaned his face down, his lips barely touching Niall’s. “Because I love you too much.”

“Good.” Niall leaned his head up and connected their lips, and smiled into the kiss when he felt Liam returning the pressure. Liam felt Niall’s tongue trace his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth, allowing Niall entrance. It wasn’t perfect, and there was a little too much teeth, but it was perfect for them. They pulled away after a while, both boys breathing heavily. 

The two jumped apart when they heard the front door slam. Two seconds later, Harry, Louis, and Zayn appeared at Liam’s door, all out of breath as if they’d been running.

Harry studied the sight of the two slightly disheveled boys, taking in their bruised lips and slightly mussed hair, and en evil smile slowly made its way onto his face. “Oh, i guess they don’t need our help anymore, guys.” 

Liam and Niall blushed bright red when the other three guys started laughing. They turned to each other and smiled. Liam wrapped his arm around Niall’s shoulder and buried his face in his bleached blond hair, breathing in a scent that was just…so..  _Niall_ , and he realized he’d always had everything he ever needed right here.


End file.
